Advisory reports

The Academy’s most recent advisory reports are listed below. Earlier advisory reports can be found under Publications. The list includes advisory reports published by The Young Academy and the Society of Arts.

(Committee Replication Studies, 2018)
The systematic replication of other researchers’ work should be a normal part of science. That is the main message of this advisory report. Funding agencies and scientific journals should also make it easier for researchers to carry out and publish replication studies.

(Academy Agenda for Large-scale Research Facilities, 2016) (In Dutch, with a summary in English)
The Academy Agenda for Large-scale Research Facilities is meant to inspire young Dutch researchers to develop plans for research facilities operating at the forefront of knowledge, and to work together on turning those plans into actual proposals.

(Original title: Ethische en juridische aspecten van informaticaonderzoek, 2016)
The Academy recommends the installation of ethical review boards for informatics research, based on experience gained in the field of medicine. The Academy wishes to see such review boards work together to develop a transparent review mechanism.

(The PhD system works, 2016) (in Dutch, with a summary in English)
The Academy concludes that the Dutch PhD system does in fact work, that it is future-proof, and that it produces highly qualified, independent-minded PhDs. One point for improvement is that PhD candidates should be better prepared to pursue a career outside academia.

(The range for unbound fundamental research. Signs from the Dutch scientific landscape, 2015) (In Dutch, with a summary in English)
There are no real 'blank spots' in Dutch research, but there are areas of concern that merit attention. That attention will remain necessary to prevent the concentration of research and research funding on broad themes from reducing the scope for basic, unfettered research.

(Ready to tack ... The academic study of religion in the Netherlands: a foresight study, 2015) (in Dutch, with a summary in English)
Dutch religious studies and theology must sail close to the wind if they are to continue to play a significant role in the future. Both fields have been struggling with budget cuts and fragmentation for some twenty years, putting their quality and relevance at risk.

(Martijn Katan, Louise Vet, and Rudy Rabbinge, 2015)
This position paper concludes that the co-firing of wood in power stations and the use of biofuels for transport do not lead to a substantial decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. Subsidies and guidelines in this context do not achieve their intended purpose.

(The use of non-human primates in experiments, 2014) (In Dutch, with a summary in English)
Primates remain necessary in research on infectious diseases and brain disorders. The report makes ten recommendations for improving such research.

(2014)
This booklet discusses the challenges and predicaments of international scientific cooperation. It addresses the responsibility of researchers and administrators to make potential conflicts clear in advance and offers them an analytical framework to assess the risks involved.

(2014) (in English, with a summary in English)
The report aims to offer the various stakeholders guidelines for selecting the research method that best suits the relevant medical device, including postmarketing surveillance. It makes clear that there are different ways of tackling such evaluations, and that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is insufficient.

(2014) (In English, also available in Dutch)
Advisory report by the Committee on Citation Practice clarifying what constitutes the correct reuse of previously published texts, ideas, and research results. The Academy analysed the various types of reuse, with or without attribution. It also developed an assessment framework that provides guidelines for assessing specific cases and that can be used to help train young researchers.

(Utilisation of patents on the results of scientific research, 2014) (In Dutch, with a summary in English)
At the request of the Dutch State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science, a committee set up by the Academy, the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), the Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU), and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) surveyed the utilisation of patents on the results of scientific research conducted at universities and research institutes.

(Committee Biosecurity, 2013) (In English, also available in Dutch)
Early awareness of the potential misuse of life science research will help reduce risk and avoid controversy later regarding the publication of research results.

(Public investment in knowledge and the value of research, 2013) (In Dutch, with a summary in English)
Science contributes to prosperity and wellbeing. But what is the actual return on investing in knowledge? The Academy explored the possibility of quantifying the return on public investment in knowledge, i.e. in knowledge-based institutions and knowledge workers.

(2013) (In Dutch, with a summary in English)
Dutch art historical research will remain robust if universities, museums and other institutions operating in this area cooperate more. The Academy favours the establishment of a national centre for Dutch art historical research in which art historians of every stripe can work on a common research agenda.

(Trust in science, 2013) (In Dutch, with a summary in English)
Guaranteeing trust in science is primarily a matter for the scientific world itself. However, external parties such as funding bodies, public authorities, the media and the educational establishment can also contribute.

(2013) (In English, also available in Dutch)
The Dutch research community needs a new code of conduct to combat fraud, but it must also do much more to publicise the existing rules. Research data must be accessible so that researchers can verify and build on each other’s work.

(2013) (In English; also available in Dutch)
This advisory report will offer organisations that assess research in the social sciences a framework for defining sound assessment tools, in particular quality indicators in the social sciences.

(Effects of developing distinct university profiles and the Top Sector policy on research in the Netherlands, 2013) (In Dutch, with a summary in English)
The Academy believes that there is a danger of ‘blank spots’ developing mainly in those disciplines that are poorly coordinated and are therefore unable to offset local decision-making. The effect of the Top Sectors policy on the scope for unfettered basic research is noticeable mainly at the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

(Quality and relevance in the humanities, 2012) (In Dutch, with a summary in English)
This advisory report focuses mainly on promoting the use of a new system for assessing research in the humanities as proposed in the Academy advisory report ‘Quality indicators for research in the humanities’ (2011).

(Rio+20 Committee, 2012)
Dutch research has made a major contribution to sustainable development. The Netherlands is prominent in many different areas, including water, agriculture and nutrition, and environmental and earth sciences. But the real strength of the Netherlands lies in its ability to make connections. Dutch researchers are skilled at international and multidisciplinary collaboration.